


Fifth Dates are for Tragic Backstories

by PhiraLovesLoki



Series: Captain Swan Tumblr Prompts [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Families of Choice, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-25
Updated: 2015-02-26
Packaged: 2018-03-15 06:31:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3436985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhiraLovesLoki/pseuds/PhiraLovesLoki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Killian Jones is proud to be the best man at his best friend’s wedding, but he desperately wishes that his ex and her husband weren’t on the guest list. Fortunately, he finds a distraction in the form of the mysterious maid of honor. Modern!AU Captain Swan, with a little Outlaw Queen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [apirateandhisswan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/apirateandhisswan/gifts).



> Written for flirtyhook on Tumblr, who requested modern Captain Swan as the best man and maid of honor at a wedding.
> 
> This story is in two parts.

Robin ducked his head into the bedroom. “Perhaps it’s too late to say this, but I hope this wasn’t too much to ask.”

Killian shrugged as he stuffed his suit into his suit carrier. “I don’t know what you’re on about, mate.”

“Don’t try to—” Robin tried to continue, but just then, Roland came barreling into the room.

“Uncle Killian, can I show you my new video game?” He waved his Nintendo.

“Maybe in the car, yeah? I need to finish packing. That sound okay?” Roland nodded happily before darting back out of the room.

“As I was saying,” Robin said, picking up where he’d been interrupted, “don’t try to pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

“Your wedding is tomorrow,” Killian reminded him. “I’m not going to back out. I’m not a coward.”

“I didn’t say you were. I guess I’m trying to say thanks, and to ask if there’s any way I can make it any easier.”

Killian shook his head. “You could have said thanks by not inviting her, her parents, or her bloody husband.”

“They’re still my family,” Robin reminded him gently. “They’re still Roland’s family. I still see them all the time, and you know as well as I do that I’d be a fool to risk offending them by not inviting them at all. Anything _else_ I can do to make it easier?”

“I don’t know, mate.” He paused. “Hot bridesmaids?” Robin frowned thoughtfully. “Not a one?”

“Well, not exactly.” He leaned against the doorframe. “There’s her older sister, Zelena, who’s prone to extreme bouts of jealousy … and she’s bringing a date. There’s her younger sister, Mary Margaret, who’s probably the _opposite_ of your type—and married.”

“Doesn’t she have three bridesmaids?”

Robin nodded. “Yes, but … well, I don’t think it would be a good idea.”

He was intrigued. “Out with it, mate. Is she single at least?”

“Well, yeah, but—”

“Then at least I can ask the lass for a dance at the reception,” he said with a wink.

Robin opened his mouth to reply, but then his cell phone rang. “Hello, darling,” he said as he answered. “Yes, I’m at Killian’s; we’ll be on our way soon. Nope, Phillip and Aurora are going to pick Will up. All right, we’ll see you in an hour or so.”

“I’m all set, actually,” he said as Robin hung up. “Shall we?”

“Yes, let’s head out.” Robin paused. “Look, are you _sure_ you’re okay?”

“Of _course_ I’m okay. It’s your wedding, mate; I’ve been looking forward to this.”

He really couldn’t be happier for his friend; Robin had been through the wringer and deserved the happiness he’d found with Regina.

It was just that Killian couldn’t _help_ but feel a little sorry for himself. Weddings were like that. If you weren’t in a perfect place in your personal life, there was always a tinge of envy and sadness; having your married ex present didn’t help. And so while he couldn’t begrudge Robin his happy ending, it was just a reminder that he had lost his own, in so many ways.

An hour later, they arrived at the wedding venue. It was a lovely little inn, with a courtyard with gazebo for the ceremony, a chic lounge for cocktails, and a rustic ballroom for dinner and dancing.

“Oi, whose idea was it to have this bloody affair outdoors?” Will asked as he stepped out of Phillip’s car. Aurora climbed out of the front passenger’s seat, looking incredibly cross. Killian couldn’t blame her; Will was one of his good friends, and it could be difficult to spend an hour in the car with him.

“Mine.” Regina strode over; she’d been standing in front of a old, bright yellow Volkswagen Beetle, talking with a group of women that Killian assumed were her bridesmaids. “I hope that’s not a problem.”

“Course not,” Will said quickly, sensing imminent danger. Regina Mills might be head over heels in love with their best friend, but she was still the wrong person to cross.“I just love the great outdoors.”

“Nice recovery,” Killian said before greeting Regina with a hug. “How are you holding up? Excited?”

“Yes, although I’m ready to just be married,” she said, smiling a little. Regina was never the type of person to exude happiness, even if she happened to be ecstatic. She quickly hugged Will before greeting Phillip and Aurora, at which point, she took Robin’s hand. “Thanks for coming. I know it’s cold out.”

“It’s supposed to be much warmer tomorrow,” Robin reassured her.

“If it’s too cold, will the ceremony be in the ballroom?” Aurora asked.

Regina rolled her eyes, but Robin calmly replied, “We’ll have to see, but as I said, we should be okay. For now, though, we’ll all keep our hats and gloves on.” He held up one gloved hand and wiggled his fingers.

“Where’s Roland?” Regina asked.

“The lad fell asleep in the car,” Killian said. “Shall we wake him?”

“Yeah, Dr. Hopper—that’s our officiant over there—wants to get the rehearsal done soon because of the cold. And we’ve got to get out of here anyway; there’s another wedding tonight.”

“I’ll get him,” Will said, before heading over to Robin’s car.

“So, who are these fine people?” An older woman had approached their group. Killian didn’t need an introduction; her incredible resemblance to Regina made it clear that she was Cora Mills, mother of the bride.

“Mother, this is Phillip, one of the groomsmen, and his fiancée Aurora. Will’s the other groomsman—he went to get Roland. And this is Killian, Robin’s best man.”

“How lovely to finally meet all of you,” Cora said warmly. Killian quickly raised an eyebrow at Robin before Cora turned to him to shake his hand; Robin had spoken at length about how manipulative his future mother-in-law was, but this woman just seemed friendly.

“Hey, Regina?” one of the bridesmaids called out, over by the Beetle.

“Will you excuse us?” the bride asked politely, before heading over in that direction, Robin in tow.

“So, how do you know the groom?” Cora asked Phillip.

“All of us went to university together, in London,” he replied. “That’s also where Aurora and I met.”

“How lovely.” Cora smiled and turned to Killian. “So, you must be the one who was engaged to Roland’s aunt.”

“Uh, yes.” It wasn’t as though he didn’t expect anyone to know about that, but it seemed awkward that she was bringing it up.

“I think it’s just _awful_ that Robin insisted on inviting those people,” Cora continued. “I was so surprised when my daughter told me that he’d also made you his best man. You’d have thought he’d done one or the other.”

Phillip cleared his throat awkwardly before excusing himself, dragging Aurora with him. “Well, he didn’t _make_ me his best man,” Killian replied, trying to keep his voice as even as possible. “He asked me to do him that favor, and I was honored. As for the guest list, Milah and her family are still Roland’s family, and they’re still _Robin’s_ family. It’s not as though he and Marian divorced.”

“Well, be that as it may—” Cora continued, but mercifully, Robin interrupted.

“Sorry, but we need to rehearse now. Something’s come up, and Emma has to leave.”

Cora looked offended—but also a little as though she _enjoyed_ being offended. “What sort of maid of honor up and leaves the wedding rehearsal?” she asked. “This is what happens when you ask _people like that_ to be in the wedding party.”

“Come on, Killian.” Robin pulled him away, not bothering to respond.

“Holy hell, mate,” Killian said once they were out of earshot.

“Don’t I know it,” Robin replied. “And you thought our old in-laws were bad.” Milah and Marian’s parents had always been disapproving, but they’d at least been very polite about it.

“Okay, places everyone!” A petite blonde woman was practically bouncing to get their attention, waving a clipboard over her head. “Let’s line you all up! Robin, you’re going first, so you stand right here.” She checked her clipboard. “Now I need Phillip and Zelena. Great, now, Will and Mary Margaret right behind them. Perfect! Now, Emma and Killian?”

With that, he moved into position directly behind Will, who was glancing at Mary Margaret’s left hand, adorned with a wedding ring, with disappointment. He held out his left arm automatically, and turned to look as he felt his bridesmaid take his arm.

She had long, braided blonde hair, and her bright green eyes flicked to his face—twice; she did a double take—before she stared resolutely at the back of Mary Margaret’s head. She was tall—almost his height—but he realized she was wearing heels. Although her figure was disguised by her puffy winter coat, she was bloody beautiful. Clearly, whatever the reason was that Robin hadn’t been keen on the two of them hooking up, it had nothing to do with her physical appearance.

“It’s nice to meet you,” he said, his mouth suddenly dry.

“Sure,” she said coolly, still looking ahead.

“I’m Killian.”

“I heard.”

Ah. Perhaps it was her attitude? “Here’s hoping for some real spring weather tomorrow.”

“Yeah, here’s hoping.”

There was a twinge of _something_ in her voice. “Um, are you all right?”

“I’m freezing.” The twinge was still there.

“That’s not what I meant.” But then the planner was playing some classical music on an ancient boombox, and she’d begun to direct the rehearsal.

He kept an eye on the planner as Robin began his walk down the aisle. “What’s upsetting you?”

“I usually save tragic backstories for the fourth or fifth date,” she said wryly.

“I take it from your tone that you don’t typically get that far,” he ventured.

“Nope.” She popped the “p” with finality.

“I don’t either.” Robin had reached the gazebo, and now Phillip and his bridesmaid began to walk.

“So, how do you know Regina?”

“Not in the correct way, apparently.”

He recalled Cora’s comment. “Not a sister?” he asked.

Emma chuckled. “Something like that.” Will and Mary Margaret began to walk. “We were roommates. Which of Robin’s friends are you?”

“The one who was supposed to be his brother-in-law,” he replied.

“Ah. You’re _that_ one.” Now, the planner was gesturing for them to walk. “Go slow; I’m wearing goddamn heels.”

“So why are you really upset?” he asked, changing the subject.

“Because I just found out I can’t stay for the rehearsal dinner.”

“Why not?”

“Because I just _can’t._ I don’t want to talk about it. I already feel like the world’s biggest jackass.”

He couldn’t press further, as they had arrived at the gazebo. He stepped off to the right to stand in front of Will, but as soon as Emma had taken her place in front of Mary Margaret, he caught her gaze and raised his eyebrows at her; she blushed.

Next came Roland, sans rings (since this was just the rehearsal), followed by Regina escorted by her mother. Killian tried to get himself into the right wedding day mindset, as practice for the following day. He smiled at Regina, telling himself that she was the most beautiful woman in the world, and that if he’d had one wish, it would have been to wish for this wedding day for her and Robin. He made sure to avoid looking at Roland, who was standing where the chairs would be, knowing that tomorrow, Roland would be seated with his aunt and grandparents. For now, Aurora kept an eye on the lad. He spent some time beaming at the back of Robin’s head as the officiant droned on and on about discovering love after tragedy.

But he kept finding himself stealing glances at Emma. She pursed her lips every few moments, and shivered in the cold, swaying back and forth in her heels. She looked distracted and unhappy; he thought about prying during the rehearsal dinner, before he remembered she had to leave. Her gaze never left the bride and groom.

He did wonder why Robin had said going after her might not be a good idea. Clearly, she played her cards close to the chest. But why? That was a little easier to read. There was certainly a bit of a chip on her shoulder—he suspected that simply being a former roommate wasn’t enough for Cora to refer to her as a _person like that._ Perhaps her tragic backstory was something people often shamed her for, and as such, she had her walls up.

He inexplicably desperately wanted to scale them.

Soon, the rehearsal ceremony ended, and it was time to practice recessing. Killian took Emma’s arm again—her left arm, this time, and they made their way back down the aisle. “Well, hopefully it’ll be that lovely tomorrow,” he said.

“Hopefully it’ll be _warm_ tomorrow,” she grumbled.

“That goes without saying. Will you be all right?”

“If it’s this cold? Yeah, but—”

“No,” he corrected her gently. They reached the end of the aisle, and moved off to the side, as directed by the planner. “I mean tonight.”

She was surprised. “What?”

“Clearly, you’re upset about something—whatever it is that’s forced you to change your plans this evening. Will you be all right?”

She cocked her head momentarily. “Hm. You’re different.” And then she promptly walked over to Regina to say goodbye before hurrying to the yellow Beetle.

She was different, too.

Fortunately, to everyone’s relief, the day of the wedding arrived with beautifully warm spring weather. Killian briefly wondered if Regina had used some sort of magic to ensure that her wedding day was flawless. But then again, Regina Mills would have proudly walked down the aisle in pouring, freezing rain.

He spent the afternoon with Robin, Will, and Phillip, getting dressed. They’d booked several rooms at the inn; each of the bridesmaids had their own, while Regina had slept in the room she and Robin would share on their wedding night. Meanwhile, Robin had bunked with Will in his room the night before. Phillip and Aurora of course had their own room, and Killian was happily babysitting Roland. The ladies had taken over the bridal suite, while the men got together in Will’s room to prepare.

After they’d dressed, shared some whiskey, and taken some photographs together, they found themselves ushered by the bubbly wedding planner to that same spot behind the hedge, where they could greet guests.

And, of course, the first guests he encountered were Milah, her husband, and her parents.

“Oh, uh, hi,” she said awkwardly. “It’s nice to see you, Killian.”

“Milah.” He didn’t mean to sound so unfriendly. But he wouldn’t lie; it wasn’t nice to see her. Seeing her always hurt.

“You remember my husband, Robert.” It wasn’t a question, nor should it have been. Of course he remembered the man she’d left him for.

“Of course.” He couldn’t bring himself to shake the fellow’s hand. “Pleasure to see you.” At that moment, Emma had just wandered nearby, her eyes trained on her cell phone. “I’m so sorry, will you excuse me? I need to speak to the maid of honor.” He quickly turned around and had to avoid running towards her.

“Save me,” he said, interrupting.

“What?” She looked up at him with narrowed eyes.

“Pretend we’re talking about something important.”

“Like how you interrupted me while I was _doing_ something important?”

“Please, I just need you to act like I’m supposed to be talking to you.”

She must have been able to read the desperation on his face. “Okay. We’re now talking about something important. Something wedding related.”

"Yes, exactly. This is an important day.”

“Right. Lots of important things going on. Those people you were talking to are gone now.”

“Thank god.” He covered his face with his hand. “Thank you.”

“Isn’t that Marian’s family?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Oh, shit, sorry,” she said quickly. She placed a hand on his arm. “I still can’t believe Robin invited them.”

“It’s really fine,” he said insistently. Before he could launch into his well-practiced speech he’d prepared, in case anyone commented on whether or not Robin should or shouldn’t have invited his former in-laws, it occurred to him that Emma was all dressed up and ready to go.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t already a beautiful woman; he’d certainly noticed yesterday. But with flawless hair and makeup, and her figure no longer concealed by a bulky jacket, she was breath-taking. It was going to be difficult to focus on the bride. “Are you okay?” she asked, when he hadn’t spoken in a few moments.

“Just fine, love.” He cleared his throat. “Are you doing better today?” She sighed and looked away. “Fifth date if I want the tragic backstory?” he asked.

She bit her lip thoughtfully, but one of Regina’s sisters called her back inside the building for a bride-related task, and he went back to greeting guests.

And soon, the real ceremony began. Just like the night before, they lined up in order, with Emma taking his arm, and now holding a bouquet in the other. “So if there are no tragic backstories till the fifth date, what happens on the first date?” he asked as Robin made his way down the aisle.

He was honestly a bit surprised that she answered. “Pop culture. Favorite TV shows. Which critically acclaimed movie you think is the most overrated.”

“Classic books you hated in school,” he ventured.

“No, that’s second date material,” she corrected him. Now Zelena and Phillip began to walk. “High school and whatnot. Nothing too deep, of course. Embarrassing stories.”

“Sex on the third date,” he suggested.

“Of course. Conversations at the bar or restaurant have to be a little awkward because you’re both trying to leave and get back to someone’s apartment.”

“Of course.” Will and Mary Margaret started to walk. “Fourth date?”

“Have sex and then talk about hopes and dreams. Just general enough that the person _could_ theoretically be a part of your future, without explicitly saying so.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, you know, like, whether or not you see yourself getting married, or if you’re planning to travel a lot.”

“And _then_ tragic backstories.”

“Right.” The planner gave them a nod, and they began to walk. Killian knew from booking a wedding photographer that he should smile widely as he walked down the aisle, so that Robin and Regina could see photos of all their friends excitedly entering the wedding ceremony. Thank goodness Milah had covered the cost of the forfeited deposit. He had been grateful, at least, that she’d returned the engagement ring and paid for all of the expenses for the canceled wedding.

He shook his head. He needed to focus.

At first, it was easy to let himself get caught up in the emotions he’d wanted to experience. He had an excellent view of Regina, who was practically glowing with happiness, and who was, without a doubt, the fairest bride he’d ever seen. He felt a swell of pride when Robin began reciting his vows, promising to weather the storms with Regina, whether they were as rich as royalty, or as poor as paupers. He felt his eyes grow wet as Regina swore to treat Roland as though he were her own son, and to always honor the memory of Marian, so that Robin never felt as though he had to choose between the two loves of his life.

But then his eyes met Emma’s.

She was no longer swaying in her heels, instead looking absolutely radiant in the pale pink dress Regina had selected. She looked joyously happy as she looked on at Robin and Regina, and then she managed to look at _him_ just as he was looking at her.

Her expression hardly changed; she was still grinning and crying (happily, of course). But there was something else in her expression. Curiosity? Interest? Desire?

He broke the gaze soon after that, and tried to focus on the beautiful wedding ceremony before him. But he kept stealing additional glances at Emma, and more often than not, she was looking at him as well.

Finally, Archie pronounced Robin and Regina husband and wife, and they all happily recessed to another part of the venue’s grounds for photos. He wanted to say something to her as they walked, but he wasn’t sure just what, and the photographer was trying to snap happy recessional photos. And so he just grinned as much as he could.


	2. Chapter 2

After about an hour’s worth of photos, the bridal party made their entrance to the reception. Emma took Killian’s arm again as they were introduced; he made sure she took his left arm, so that he could gesture with his right hand as they entered. They stood behind their seats at the bridal party table as Robin and Regina—married at last—swept into the room, glowing and grinning. It was the happiest Killian had felt since he had proposed to Milah their senior year of college.

He tried not to think about that.

Following the bride and groom’s first dance as a married couple, it was time for the toasts. Killian quickly shoved his speech into the fingers of his left hand before taking the microphone with his right; he could risk dropping the speech, but not the equipment.

“Hi, everyone. I’m Killian, the best man. First, I want to congratulate Robin and Regina. That you two have found each other and made a life together is beautiful and inspiring, and I’m honored that you’ve chosen me to be a part of your wedding day.”

That ought to silence those who might be whispering that he’d been forced into the role.

“I’ve known Robin since my first year at university, when he took me under his wing and vowed to show me the ropes of college life. I thought that I was simply lucky to have met such a wonderful friend. But I had no idea just how fortunate I truly was.” He took a deep breath. “When my brother died, Robin took care of me. He made sure that I recovered as much as I could, that I stayed in school—that I ate and slept. Without him, I’ve no idea what would have become of me.

“And that’s the thing about Robin. He understands that family isn’t just whom you share blood with. Family consists of the people who are always there for you, who care about you because you just _work_ together. Robin might not be my brother by blood, or by law, but he is still my brother.

“And now, my brother, you are married to an incredible woman. Regina isn’t just the perfect fit for you; she is truly your soul mate. Not everyone is as lucky as the two of you are to have found your soul mates twice. And not everyone is as lucky as Roland is, to have his family only grow bigger, and to have a woman in his life who will love him like his mother would have.

“If you would all raise your glasses—please do, for as you see, I cannot join you—I’d like to toast Robin and Regina. May your lives be full of happiness, and may your family, whether it’s by blood, by law, or by choice, only grow.”

He was relieved that he’d taken the microphone in his right hand; he nearly dropped it anyway when Robin hugged him fiercely.

As he walked back to his seat, he handed the microphone to Emma.

“I’m the maid of honor, Emma,” she began. “And I want you all to see that I typed my speech.” She held it up to demonstrate. “So no one can accuse me of copying Killian.” But she met his gaze and winked.

“Ten years ago, I desperately needed somewhere to live. Just about no one wanted me; I couldn’t afford much in the way of rent, I was barely eighteen years old, I had a eight-week-old infant who enjoyed screaming his lungs out, and, as if all that weren’t enough, I’d just been released from juvie.”

Well, _that_ explained Cora’s comment.

“I mean, everything you’d look for in a roommate, right?” The other guests chuckled. “Meanwhile, Regina had just suffered through a heartbreaking tragedy, and she had to either find someone to pay part of the rent, or she’d have to leave the apartment that she and Daniel had made into their home.”

That was, after all, how Robin and Regina had met. Regina had taken a leadership role in an organization that supported people through the death of a spouse or significant other, after her boyfriend had died of an aneurysm. She’d been leading the group that Robin had joined after Marian had died giving birth to Roland.

“I cannot think of anyone else who would have taken me in, or taken a chance on me,” Emma continued, “nor could I have asked for a more incredible roommate. Regina didn’t just let me live in her apartment; she took care of me, and she helped me take care of my son, Henry. She was the sister I never had, and she’s treated Henry like her own son.

“I am both astounded and relieved that Regina ended up meeting someone who cares just as much about his chosen family as she does hers. Since she and Robin met, her life has been so full of light that, before she moved out to live with him, I didn’t have to pay for electricity.” That earned more laughter. “I am so unbelievably excited that you two have chosen each other, and I know that your family will always be a happy one, because everyone knows they’re loved unconditionally.

“And so if you’ll raise your glasses again … to Regina and Robin!”

When Emma sat down beside him, after passing the microphone back to the DJ, her hands were trembling. “Are you all right?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she said, exhaling forcefully. “I hate public speaking.”

“I’m not terribly fond of being on display myself,” he said, gesturing with his left hand. “That was a beautiful speech.”

“Do you think so?” She gulped down some water. “I hope I didn’t piggy back too much off of yours.”

“It was perfect,” Aurora interrupted from across the table.

“Yeah,” said the blond man sitting next to Mary Margaret. “It says a lot about the kind of people Robin and Regina are, since you both kind of corroborated each other’s speeches.”

“This isn’t an interrogation, deputy,” the red-headed sister, Zelena, muttered.

Mary Margaret rolled her eyes. “What David meant was that Robin and Regina both care very much about their family and friends, and it really showed because both the best man and maid of honor made it a point to talk about it.”

“Well, thanks,” Emma said awkwardly. Slowly, their dinner companions started up side conversations as their meals arrived. “Anyway, like I said, I hope you don’t think I copied.”

“Not at all,” he reassured her. “It’s nice to know that Robin has found someone who shares one of his best qualities.” Emma smiled before taking a bite of her entrée.

Soon, the dance floor filled up. Both of Regina’s sisters were up and dancing, Mary Margaret with her husband, and Zelena with her date (Walter? Walsh? He hadn’t quite heard the man’s name). Phillip and Aurora left the table as well, and Will made a beeline for the bar. “Are you up for a dance?” Killian asked, trying not to sound too hopeful or too casual.

“Not really,” Emma admitted. “My heels are killing my feet.”

“I just thought I might ask,” he said. “I wouldn’t want you to hurt your feet. Oh shit.”

“What?”

“Milah’s coming over.”

“Who?”

“Marian’s sister.”

“Oh shit. Okay, let’s go.”

“What?”

“Come on!” She quickly stood up and dragged him to his feet before pulling him to the dance floor.

“Love, if you don’t want to dance—”

“I can get through one dance,” she said firmly. “Now, take my damn waist.”

“As you wish. Is she gone?”

“No.” She smiled brightly at him, almost lovingly. “Pretend you’re flirting with me—she’s looking.”

“Pretend?” He grinned. “So if I were flirting with you, maybe I’d say that you look radiantly beautiful.”

“You might,” she replied. Her smile didn’t fade, but it changed, in that peculiar way of hers. It was just like during the ceremony; she just looked a bit more _… something._ He really, _really_ wanted to know what the feeling behind the expression was.

“And I’d tell you that I’m honored that you’d share a dance with me,” he continued.

“You should be.” She lowered her voice flirtatiously.

“And then I’d ask how you’re feeling.”

That clearly confused her. “What do you mean?”

“You were upset last night and had to leave immediately after the rehearsal.”

“Oh.” Her face darkened, and then she sighed. “Well, Henry’s dad had a change of plans, apparently, and so I had to go pick up my son.”

“You’re not serious.”

“Dead serious. He’s only been in Henry’s life for the past year, so he’s only got visitation rights at this point. That’s all he’s probably ever going to get if he keeps this up. But Henry really wants to get to know him, and Neal—that’s my ex—he does really want to be a dad. But he’s got a long way to go.”

“Please tell me that his change of plans was at least necessitated by some sort of emergency.”

“Does a last minute weekend get-away with his girlfriend sound like an emergency?”

“Not even a little bit. I’m sorry, love. He doesn’t sound like a very good father.”

“He wasn’t a very good boyfriend either.” She sighed. “He’s the reason I ended up in juvie in the first place. But I really do want them to have a relationship. It’s what’s best for Henry.”

“So where is Henry now?”

“Home. I have a sitter, but she can’t stay the night. I’m going to have to leave in an hour or so.”

“I’m sorry, love.”

She snorted. “Well, of course you’re sorry. You don’t have a chance to sleep with me because I have to go home to my kid.”

It was his turn to snort. “No. _You_ don’t have a chance to sleep with _me_ because I have to look after Roland tonight. I can really only enjoy the festivities until bedtime. But I’ll happily take a rain check on the sex.”

“Regina warned me about you,” she said quietly.

“She mentioned that I was devilishly handsome?” he ventured nervously.

“She mentioned that you were the one night stand sort of guy.”

“You must have misheard her,” he said lightly. “Perhaps you misunderstood when she said I was a ‘one hand’ kind of guy.”

“Killian.” Her tone indicated she was not to be trifled with.

He sighed. “Yes, I’ve had my share of one night stands. Yes, it’s true that I haven’t had a fifth date in a while. But I’m capable of more. And you’ve gotten my tragic backstory tonight, haven’t you?”

At some point, without him realizing it, she’d moved in closer; they were dancing quite intimately. “That’s true,” she said. “And I guess you’ve gotten mine.”

“Besides,” he said, pulling back so that he could see her expressions more easily, and more importantly, so she could see his. “Our surrogate siblings are now married. Do you truly think I’d dare to have a one night stand with you?”

It was, perhaps, the wrong thing to say. “I hadn’t thought about that,” she said, frowning. “We can’t sleep together. We’re going to be in each other’s lives.”

“Well, yes, I’d rather hoped for that,” he admitted. “You’re incredibly fascinating.”

She rolled her eyes. “No, I mean, we’re going to be in each other’s lives. We can’t mess this up.”

“Darling, listen to me.”

“I’m not your darling.”

“Will you still listen?” She nodded. “You know all there is to know.”

“I don’t even know what you do for a living, or your last name,” she interrupted.

“It’s Jones, and I’m a columnist for the Globe. I live alone in a one-bedroom apartment in the city, I haven’t been in a relationship since Milah left me for a wealthy businessman, and I lost my hand in the car accident that killed my brother. And there’s just something about you that I can’t shake.”

“It’s the dress,” she said dryly.

“It’s _not_ the dress,” he countered insistently. “Although you do look stunning.”

They were still dancing; the music had mostly been upbeat, but the DJ had just put on some slow, classic Elvis. “I’m Swan. I’m in bail bonds. Henry and I live alone in the same apartment we moved in to with Regina all those years ago. And Robin was _supposed_ to keep you from hitting on me this weekend.”

“Does it help to know he tried?”

She laughed, but didn’t say anything. Instead, she just slowly moved closer to him, until they were dancing cheek to cheek, made possible by her uncomfortable shoes. He found it difficult to breathe, and his heart pounded. Bloody hell, how was she doing this to him? Didn’t she realize that there was something different about her? That this could never be a one night stand?

The song eventually ended, and the one that followed was much too high tempo for them to prolong what had turned into an intimate embrace. He cleared his throat. “I, uh, suppose you’ve done me quite a favor by dancing with me, but your feet must be in a lot of pain.”

“Yeah, do you mind if we sit?” From her word choice and body language, she clearly meant for him to follow her, and so he did. At that point, the wedding cake had been served, with a plate at each place setting, and as Emma reached down to remove her shoes (sighing somewhat erotically as she did so) he took a tentative bite of cake. Decent, if a bit dry, but that was wedding cake for you.

“Killian, can we talk?”

It was Milah. She had clearly been waiting for him to return from the dance floor, and now he had a mouth full of cake and nowhere to go.

He swallowed as quickly as he could, which ended up being slightly too quick; he hastily took a sip of water. “Uh, of course,” he said, gesturing at the empty seat to his left. Emma didn’t move from her seat; he was relieved that she showed no signs of leaving.

Milah sat, nervously glanced across the room (he assumed towards her husband), and then turned back to him. “Robin mentioned that you were taking care of Roland for the night.”

“Aye.”

She shifted uncomfortably. “My parents were hoping that maybe it would be okay if we looked after him. While we’re so happy for Robin and Regina, and … well, this is a difficult time for all of us.”

“I …” He wasn’t sure what to say. On the one hand, while he adored Roland, babysitting _was_ babysitting. It would be wonderful to be able to enjoy the rest of the wedding reception, have a few drinks, and not have to worry about a four-year-old. But on the other hand, he _did_ love Roland, and he had been looking forward to spending some quality uncle-nephew time with him. And letting Milah’s family take care of him for the night … it almost felt like some sort of concession. Roland was just as much _his_ family as he was Milah’s, as far as Killian was concerned, even if Milah and her parents refused to see it that way.

But he could see how nervous she was about asking him, and he looked over to see that she’d been casting her apprehensive glances not at her husband, but at her parents, who looked terribly anxious. And, in fact, he could see how hard this must be for them; while no one would ever truly replace Marian, they’d just witnessed the man that she’d loved marry another woman. And this new woman would be the only mother Roland would ever know, except through the stories that Milah and her family could tell.

“Does Robin know that your parents want to take care of Roland tonight?” he asked.

“Yes,” she replied. “He said they could only if it was okay with you. I … Killian, I know how you feel about me—”

“Milah, it’s fine.” He didn’t want to talk about what his feelings were for her, either what they were now, or what they had been. Not at this wedding, and certainly not with Emma sitting beside him. “I just wanted to make sure Robin knew, so he wouldn’t panic and perhaps assault me in the morning when he noticed that Roland wasn’t with me.”

Milah visibly relaxed. “Thank you. We’re actually going to be leaving now; does he have an overnight bag?”

“Aye. I’ll be right back with it.”

Just then, Emma’s phone beeped loudly, startling all three of them. “Shit, sorry” she said, before checking the screen. “Ugh. Can I come with you? I need to make a phone call.”

“Of course.” They rose from the table together and began walking towards the ballroom’s exit. To his surprise, Milah was following them.

“I’m just going to wait in the foyer,” she said apologetically. And she did; he quickly retrieved Roland’s bag from his room upstairs, leaving Emma to make her call in private. “Thank you, Killian,” she said as he handed her the bag.

“You’re welcome, Milah.” He sighed. “Have a safe ride home. Please say hi to your parents for me.”

“I will.” And with that, he gave Roland a big hug goodbye, and they parted ways.

He felt strangely unburdened as he made his way back up to his room. He’d been terrified to speak with Milah all evening, but it hadn’t been half as terrible as he’d expected. Certainly, he wasn’t ready to move beyond pure civility; having your future wife cancel your wedding because she’d met someone else wasn’t the sort of thing that was easily forgiven, especially only five years later. But for Roland’s sake, it was a relief that he could at least bear to be in the same room with her for a few hours. That was an improvement.

He returned to his room to find Emma sitting on his bed, staring thoughtfully at her phone. “Everything all right?”

“Neal canceled his plans with his girlfriend,” she said, sounding slightly stunned.

“Ah. So … what’s happening?”

“He canceled his plans with her and came back so that he could take Henry for the rest of the weekend, as promised.” She held up her phone. “He texted me to see if I’d call him and give him permission to pick Henry up from my apartment.”

“What did you decide?”

She shrugged. “I let him. Like I said, I want them to have a relationship. It’s good that he’s prioritizing Henry.”

“That’s wonderful, then.” He paused, trying to read her expression in the dim light of the room. “Right?”

“Yeah, but I already canceled my damn reservation here,” she said. “I guess I’ll go downstairs and see if they have any rooms left. Maybe they’ll let me apply the deposit I lost from the cancellation.”

“You could just stay here,” he suggested. “There are two double beds.”

“That’s true,” she said thoughtfully. “Would that be okay with you?”

“Of course.”

“I don’t really have any clothes to sleep in.”

“Well, I brought a shirt and pajama pants to sleep in,” he said, lifting up his duffel bag. “I was bunking with a four-year-old, after all. If you’d like, you can wear that, and I’ll just sleep in my boxers. If you’d be comfortable with that.”

“Yeah, that sounds fine.” She laughed. “This is silly. The wedding’s still in full swing. It’s not like we’re going to bed right now.”

He chuckled in reply and held out his hand. “Shall we return to the party?”

She stood and placed her hand in his. “Lead the way, best man.”

* * *

 

It had been a good thing they’d returned to the reception; Robin had been looking for him, and Regina’s sisters had been looking for her. He’d temporarily forgotten that part of being the best man was that he was, essentially, a VIP, and Robin had wanted to introduce him to loads of guests. It wasn’t until the final slow dance at the end of the night was announced that he finally found Emma again.

She was sitting at their table, casually tapping on her phone. “All right, love?”

Her head jerked up in surprise, but he was pleased to see that her immediate expression was a mix of relief and excitement. “Yeah, was just checking in with Neal to make sure Henry’s doing okay. He’s fine; I’m just nervous when plans change so spontaneously.”

“I understand that. It’s one reason I was hesitant letting Milah’s family take Roland for the night. Last minute changes are a bit unsettling.”

“Yeah, exactly.”

He scratched the back of his ear. “So, if your feet aren’t hurting too much, would you like dance one last time?”

“Yeah, just let me get my shoes back on.” She awkwardly reached down below the table to do so. “All right, lead the way.”

This time, they didn’t start nearly as far apart; while they weren’t dancing cheek to cheek, she felt more relaxed in his arms. Comfortable, rather than resigned.

“So,” she began, “you said Robin tried to keep you from hitting on me.”

It wasn’t a question. “He was trying to cheer me up regarding the whole Milah situation, so I asked if any of the bridesmaids were available. He explained that neither of Regina’s sisters were dateless, but when I asked about the mysterious maid of honor, he simply said it was a bad idea.”

“It is.” But she said it as though she was hoping he’d insist she was wrong.

Instead, he asked, “Care to explain?” He could feel her tense up. “It’s all right, love. I won’t make you defend your decision. If you don’t wish to go out with me, then I assure you, there will be no pressure.”

“I haven’t had a boyfriend since Neal,” she said. “And the last time I slept with anyone was … well, an embarrassingly long time ago. All that stuff I said about first, second, third dates? I was bullshitting you, to be honest. I don’t think I’ve been on a real date in a couple years.”

“You have a son,” he said, as if she needed a reminder. “It stands to reason that you might not date as casually as other people might.”

“You don’t think that’s weird?” she asked. “Or kind of … I don’t know, gross?”

“Gross that you don’t really date?”

She rolled her eyes, but there was fondness mixed in with the irritation. “Well, more like I haven’t really slept with anyone in a while.”

“Love, it’s not as though you accumulate dust.”

“Well, _that’s_ gross. It’s just … I don’t know, I don’t even remember how to date anyone. I haven’t even wanted to date anyone for a long time.”

“Then don’t.” He stopped swaying with her. “Listen to me. I think you are beautiful and fascinating, and I very much would like to get to know you better. But if you don’t want to date me, then don’t.”

“I _do_ want to date you, you idiot,” she hissed. “Regina warned me that I was going to take one look at you and spread my goddamn legs. And she was right!”

“But … then why are you telling me about how you don’t date people?”

“Because I haven’t had sex with anyone in, like, three years at this point, and I’m kind of nervous that you’re going to take me up to that room of yours and be really confused as to why I’m fumbling around like a teenager!”

“I doubt you’d _fumble,”_ he replied. But his heart was racing a bit. “I can think of plenty of other things you might do, but _fumble_ isn’t one of them.”

“Listen, I just want to know a couple of things,” she said insistently.

“What would you like to know?”

“I want to know _why_ you’ve got a one night stand reputation. I want to know just exactly what you see happening between us.”

He sighed, but the song ended, and suddenly, it was time for the end of the reception. Time to focus on Robin and Regina; it was their day after all.

And so they joined in with the remaining guests, cheering as the happy couple shared one last dance together, and then they joined the rest of the wedding party in saying farewell to the folks who were leaving. Finally, everyone began to head back to their rooms; Robin and Regina had already fled to the bridal suite, but everyone else glanced knowingly at Killian and Emma as they all parted ways, with her following him into his room.

“So, those things I asked you about,” she said, sitting on one of the beds.

“Right.” Up in the small room, with the music off, his ears were ringing and his voice sounded strange in his ears. “I haven’t had a relationship since Milah. I admit that I wasn’t ever looking for a relationship; I only went on dates I knew would end in sex. But I assure you that every single one of those women _knew_ that I wasn’t looking for a relationship. They weren’t either.”

He sat beside her. “As for what exactly I see happening between us, I can tell you what I _hope_. I don’t know what it is about you, but I’m not looking for this to be a one night stand. I’d rather _not_ sleep with you tonight, to be honest, and wait until the third date—or whenever it is that we feel comfortable doing so. Because I actually want to _date_ you.” He sighed. “I want to go to dinner with you and talk, and hear stories about your son, and learn why you went to juvie. I want to tell you about my late brother, and what it was like losing my hand, or college stories about Robin that Regina probably doesn’t know.

“I don’t know what will happen between us, if we’ll date for a few months, or even a few years, and then break up. Or if we’ll end up as absurdly happy as our two friends are. But I _do_ know that we _won’t_ be having a one night stand..”

She was giving him that _look_ again, the one that was filled with intense curiosity and wonder, and something else. He wanted to know exactly what was behind that look.

“Okay. I want to do that,” she said firmly. “I want to go on dates with you, and wait to have sex. But I think I’d like to kiss you tonight.”

“I would like that very much.”

Her lips were soft, and tasted faintly like the glass of champagne she’d had at last call. Her fingers pulled on the front of his shirt insistently, and he obeyed her unspoken request to move in closer. His prosthetic hand rested on her knee, and he slowly moved his right hand to the small of her back; to his relief, she didn’t protest.

Over the next few minutes, the kiss devolved into a makeout session, with her dress hiked up, his jacket on the floor, her hair falling out of its updo, and his shirt unbuttoned. He very, _very_ much wanted to dip her down onto the bed and climb on top of her. But he had meant everything he’d said: he would _not_ turn this into a one night stand. And so he would resist the temptation.

After one last passionate, deep kiss, Emma finally pulled away. “Okay,” she said breathily. “We should probably stop if we’re going to be doing the whole ‘no one night stands’ thing.’” She chuckled and then sighed. “We should probably go to bed. I know you groomsmen didn’t have to worry about hair and makeup this morning, but us ladies had to get up early to look our best.”

“You do look lovely, if that’s any consolation. We can absolutely go to bed. Brunch tomorrow starts at nine.”

“Ugh, yeah. At least there’ll be coffee.” She stood up from the bed and straightened out her dress. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go pray that Mary Margaret and her husband haven’t started going at it yet, and that she’ll let me borrow some makeup remover. Keep the door unlocked for me?”

“Of course.” He winked, and she chuckled before exiting. He quickly called the inn’s front desk to request an extra toothbrush.

When she returned, he let her take her time washing up in the bathroom. She came back with her hair down (but still holding its curl spectacularly) and all traces of makeup gone. When he returned from washing his face and brushing his teeth, she’d changed into the T-shirt he’d loaned her, but, to his surprise, she’d left the sweatpants atop his duffle bag. He wondered if she’d noticed that her lace panties were the tiniest bit visible. “To be honest, you’ll need them more than I will,” she said. “You don’t want your morning wood to peek out of the little hole in the front of your boxers tomorrow morning, do you?”

“Point taken,” he conceded.

When he grabbed the pants and stepped back towards the bathroom, she cleared her throat awkwardly. “You can change in here,” she said. “Look, I’m in my damn underwear, and I know you can see it. The shirt’s not _that_ long.” Well, that answered _that_ question. “I’ll avert my gaze if that makes you feel any better.”

He grinned. “Well, I’ll still face away from you, in case you’re still inclined to sneak a peek.” When he turned back around, wearing just the sweatpants, she was grinning and blushing.

“I didn’t look!” she said, protesting a bit too emphatically.

“You want this bed?” he asked, gesturing to the one she was sitting on. It was the one he’d slept in the night before, but he wasn’t about to make a stink about which bed was his.

Her blush deepened. “I mean, I guess we _do_ have two beds,” she said.

“Are you asking me to sleep next to you?”

“Am I being too subtle?”

He laughed. “No. I’d like to, if you want.”

“Well, come on in.” She shifted to the head of the bed and then moved under the covers. She watched as he removed his prosthetic hand, but she didn’t comment.

He slid in beside her; the bed was just large enough that they weren’t squished together, but it was impossible to avoid a great deal of touching, which he was overly conscious of.

“I think we should call tonight our first date,” she said.

“That’s fine with me. We did kiss.”

“We definitely kissed.”

“I’d say it was a successful first date.”

“Me, too.” She rolled over to face him, and he followed suit. “Good night, Killian.”

He leaned in slowly, and to his delight, she let him kiss her again. “Good night, Emma.”

* * *

 

They received a few stares the following morning at brunch. Emma’s attire definitely gave away the fact that she’d stayed the night at the inn unplanned. But no one said anything, although Regina and Robin both gave him a somewhat concessional look, as though to say, “Well, I guess we were wrong—good for you two.”

As they sat with the other members of the wedding party, drinking coffee and surreptitiously holding hands under the table, Killian felt strangely at peace. Waking up next to Emma had been romantic in a way he hadn’t expected; he also hadn’t expected to feel so damn _happy_ about it.

This amazing woman was giving him the chance to get to know her. And he had a feeling that this wasn’t something that would fizzle out after only a few dates, or a few months.

As brunch wrapped up, everyone began to prepare to leave. Killian had originally planned to get a ride back to the city with Phillip, Aurora, and Will, so that Robin, Regina, and Roland could all go home together without having to drop him off. But when Aurora let him know that it was time to head out, Emma cleared her throat meaningfully. He asked Aurora to excuse them for a moment; she opted to look for Will in the meantime.

“I was thinking maybe I could drive you back,” she said awkwardly, once Aurora had gone. “I mean, four people in one car while I have to drive back alone? Might as well spread some people out.”

“I assume that you’re offering out of practicality, and not because you’re enjoying the pleasure of my company.”

“Yeah, I really don’t like your company,” she said sarcastically. “That’s why we’ve been holding hands all morning.”

“Yes, I thought as much.” But when Aurora returned, he gamely explained that Emma was feeling a bit tired, and so he would drive part of the way back to the city so she could get some additional rest. Aurora seemed to buy the excuse.

No one else did; they got some exaggerated winks (especially from Robin and Will) as they got into the yellow Beetle. Then again, he got in the passenger’s side, so it wasn’t that difficult to see through their excuse.

“So,” he said anxiously as Emma pulled out of the inn’s parking lot. “That was our first date?”

“Yeah, I think so.” She was smiling. “I thought it went well.”  
  
“Oh, so did I, love.” He paused. “I assume that as a bail bondsperson and single parent, you might be the person to schedule the next one.”

She sighed. “Yeah. That’s another reason why Robin was supposed to keep you away from me. I’m not exactly swimming in free time.”

“That’s really all right. My schedule is extremely flexible. The more advance notice I have, the better, but if you need to cancel or change plans at the last minute, it’s not a problem.”

“Good to know.” She was quiet for a few minutes, and he began to zone out a little, watching the scenery go by. “Well, we could do tonight,” she said suddenly. “Neal’s got Henry for the night—he’s even bringing him to school tomorrow. So I’m definitely free.”

“I’d love to, as long as you don’t think it’s too soon after our first date.”

“Not at all. Maybe dinner? It’ll give me time to, you know, shower and make myself a little more presentable.” Eyes still on the road, she gestured at the wrinkled bridesmaid dress she was still wearing.

“Absolutely. Maybe my place, around six?”

“Sounds good.”

As the drive wore on, their conversations were mostly about Robin and Regina, and the details of the wedding. Killian told her about the bachelor party they’d thrown for the groom the month before, and she told him some of the horror stories from when Regina had taken the bridesmaids dress shopping.

“So,” he said, as she pulled up to his building. “If we did tragic backstories on the first date, does that mean we’re going in reverse order? Or do we shuffle the order around a bit?”

She snorted. “Killian, I told you, I made all that up. I don’t even remember what I told you.”

“Well, then,” he said, reaching across to take her right hand in his. “I propose that we start with first date material and see where the evening takes us. But no sex.”

“No sex?” she asked skeptically. “Aren’t we already out of the one night stand woods?”

“Sex can be the fifth date,” he reasoned. “Just to make sure we don’t jump the gun.”

“You okay with waiting that long?”

“Love, I’m always a gentleman.” She chuckled. “And now, I’ll get out of your vehicle so you can go home and rest a bit. We’ve got quite the first date to live up to.”

After he got out of the car and grabbed his duffel, she winked at him. “I have a feeling we’ll manage. See you tonight.”

As he watched her drive off, he had a feeling she was right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed the story! I'd love to know what you think.


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